THE pressure is mounting on the Ibrox board to find new cash streams but it is unlikely to receive support from the club's most influential fans who are being asked to fork out £4200 each.

Rangers are understood to have sold fewer season tickets than last year (Photo: SNS Group)

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RANGERS have put out a cash call to well-heeled fans – just weeks after fearing they would storm the Blue Room.

Renewal forms for the club’s wealthiest 150 season-ticket holders have been sent out in the past 48 hours but the beleaguered board are set to be hit with another snub.

Record Sport understands only around 10,000 rank and file fans have renewed their season tickets, in stark contrast to the 31,000 who made the pledge at a similar stage last year.

The pressure is mounting on the Ibrox board to find new cash streams but they are unlikely to find much support from their most influential fans who are being asked to fork out £4200 each.

Record Sport can reveal details of the bizarre communication between director Norman Crighton and a significant investor after the final home game of the season against Stranraer last month.

Crighton accused fans in the members’ lounge of being drunk and rowdy and even feared they would storm the Blue Room at the top of the marble staircase.

One insider said: “It’s laughable stuff and the members who know of the communication are smarting.

“Most are successful businessmen and some of them don’t drink at all. The suggestion they would storm the Blue Room is preposterous. Come off it, Walter Smith was in the members’ lounge that day. It’s ridiculous.”

Many members had already decided to withhold season-ticket money with the future uncertain and Crighton’s comments will not help as the club stands to lose more than £600,000 if the rich Rangers followers turn their backs.

One member said: “A significant number of us are already speaking about not renewing and it would break our hearts to do so.

“They’re paying out more on wages to non-playing staff than players. How can they get that bill down and still generate enough money to run the club without selling Ibrox?

“Until they can answer those questions we won’t be rushing to support their regime.”

Rangers, meanwhile, announced yesterday they will keep the ticket office open over the weekend due to what they claim to be high, last minute demand.